jimmuller 

No ducks today. A turtle. Coming through the flats between the golf course and the Beaver Brook source on Concord Rd in Belmont a bunch of cars had stopped. I couldn't see what was up, but not wanting to ride through them I stopped as well. It turns out they were waiting for a turtle to cross the road (apparently it thought it was a chicken), a large, seemingly old snapper, though they all look old even when young. One woman came around her car and asked if I knew anything about turtles. I said a little, and that guy could take your finger off. We picked up some sticks and tried to encourage him/her/it to move a little faster. He/she/it wasn't interested in moving faster.

Then another car stopped and a grad-student-ish woman got out and said you could pick them up if you started with the tail. I said she must have more experience with snappers than I did and she said she had worked with them, was a vet student. Ah. She picked it up from the back, tail first, and moved it down in to the brush. I managed to get a pic first. Then she thanked us and we all moved on down the road.

rholland1951

Continuing the animal theme, I took yet another little ride on the Minuteman this evening, and observed a young raccoon shinny up a tree. By the time I took this picture, he was busy trying to look inconspicuous, and doing a pretty good job of it, too. Where's Waldo?


The ride back featured temperatures in the upper 40s, and a brisk headwind. Good day to be furry.

rod

guidoStow

NER 200k Brevet yesterday. 126.75 miles 6918 feet of climbing. Ugly headwind the last 25 or so miles... Lots of nice folks to ride with. Saw sheep, Lamas , beef critters and waterfalls. Birds were singing happily.

rholland1951

Saturday, took the Nordavinden on at 53-mile ramble, with 5448' of climbing, through Arlington, Lexington, Bedford, Concord, Lincoln, Wayland, Sudbury, Framingham, and Waltham, a ride that took in the Reformatory Branch trail, Water Row, the Weston Aqueduct, Pelham Island Road, and lots of paved stuff in between. The weather was more conducive for riding than I had thought, although, the last hour, after sunset, was a little, er, invigorating.

One of the traditional Two Sucking Mires on the Concord section of Reformatory Branch; between some thoughtful drainage ditch digging, and just enough time since the last rain, it was passable... but did sport some attractive trail-side skunk cabbage.


Stopped for half a sandwich at a bench overlooking Great Meadows NWR's Concord section.


Concord Center has unlooked-for delights (or lights, anyway).


Crossing the Sudbury River on Sherman's Bridge.


Water Row, Sudbury, is half-way back from wintry desolation, already lively with frogsong and birdsong, furiously budding and leafing, but not nearly green enough yet. I'll check again in a few weeks.


The Framingham segment of the Weston Aqueduct is open for walking and cycling now.


I suppressed an urge to go rolling down the berm.


Saturday's animal was a red fox, using the aqueduct as a corridor. We met, stopped to consider each other, and she (?) chose to take a quick detour. The sharp-eyed or zooming can see her tail still visible as she disappeared behind a tree.


Flowering boughs arching over Pelham Island Road. I went looking for Spring, and found it here.


Well met in Lincoln.


rod

rholland1951

Put the Monster Trucker (Surly Trucker DeLuxe, a 26" touring bike shod with 52mm Compass Bicycles Rat Trap Pass Extralight tires) back on the road for the first time since December, a 23-mile ride through Arlington, Medford, Malden, Revere, and Saugus, as far as the Lynn line. There were a few raindrops when I left, and a few as I was putting the bike away at the end, with the sky showing commendable restraint in-between times.

As usual with these rides, I stopped in Medford to pay my respects to the stupa.


Picked up the Northern Strand Community Trail at Bell Rock Cemetery, Malden's old burying ground.


Passed a serious soccer game in a field bordering the trail.


Rumney Marsh. The Revere section of the Northern Strand is coarse gravel. The Rat Traps eat it up; probably rideable down to 28mm. I'll give it a shot with 32mm and report.




A nest with a view.


Second shrine of the day, Saugus. Not Buddhist, but it'll do.


Along the Saugus River. The tide was coming in, so the river was running backwards. All that mud will be under water soon.


The Saugus River continues into Lynn, but I didn't, this time.


Sunday's animal (well, bird) was this fowl with odd plumage, seen scratching around the backyard of a house on the trail margin in Saugus. A young man who apparently lived there tried to explain to me what it was, and either my ear didn't hear it, or my brain didn't make sense of it. I did hear, "good eggs", though.


rod

jimmuller 

That sounds both fun and demanding. Nice pics, classic New England.

guidoStow

It was both. Three weeks till the 300k...

But I can't touch Rod's lamp...

rholland1951

Best of luck for the 300k. That's a lot of turns of the crank...

rod

guidoStow

Sure is. I'm looking forward to the challenge!

Thanks!

rholland1951

Took the LHT out on the Minuteman before dinner, the air cool and breezy but, except for a little shower I rode into and out of at the Woburn Street turn-around, not quite wet; a short, pleasant ride at the end of a long, busy week.






rod

rickrob 

I did a 45 mile ride-- back and forth through Holliston and Milford. Was a little cold and grey, but OK. That's the longest I've ever ridden. I'm training for my first century ride in June.

jimmuller 

Well done, and good luck on the upcoming century. If you can do 45 you can do a century. However there are a few things to be aware of. Don't ride too fast early or you'll burn out early. Don't ride too slow or it will take all day. It will take all day anyway so make sure you are comfortable enough on the bike to ride it all day. Eat often. Really. Eat. Often. And did I mention eat? If you get hungry then it's too late.

rickrob 

Thanks-- and thanks for the tips on the century. I can see what you mean about eating. I ate before I left and stopped for a small snack at 30 miles. When I got home I was really hungry... I'll have to start bringing some extra snacks/food with me on future training rides.

rholland1951

Through a remarkable combination of procrastination, inattention to detail, and sheer bad timing, my planned 60 mile ride turned out to be a cold, wet, 20 mile ride. Ah, well...


rod

Ghazmh

Bringing a new bike home can be a joyous moment

jimmuller 

@Ghazmh, for a moment I thought you were posting in the C&V. Then I looked closely at the wheels. Still nice tho'.

Ghazmh

thank you sir! I assure you that Jackueline-Dianne is neither classic nor vintage she is however inspired by them, even the classic song inspired name.

Archwhorides 

It seems the duck wanted his tail-feathers goosed by the bicycle wheel. Great story, I never heard of a domestic duck before!

rholland1951

That's exciting! Tell us more...

rod

Ghazmh

I've been wanting something to fill the gap between go-fast road bike and my touring bike for day tours and my 75-120 mile rides. Wanting a steel frame I picked the Smoothie for the cost and paint scheme. I had the wheels already so I had it built with full 5800 in silver with Velo Orange stem, headset and seat post in silver and a silver Ritchey bar, Selle Italia reissue of the 1980 turbo saddle and an Ortlieb handlebar bag. The 520 in the background is all loaded up for my first overnighter this coming weekend. The first of hopefully 3 this year.

rholland1951

That sounds absolutely dandy!

rod

DBrim

Sounds like the planned extension of the Somerville community path has been a victim of the turmoil surrounding the green line extension:
The Green Line extension is moving forward, but the saga is far from over

It was previously planned to go all the way to Lechmere, which would have given a full path from the city to the Minuteman. While it's good news that it's still alive in some form, now it's going to be extended to the intersection of Washington St and McGrath Highway instead. Having a full link between Union Square and Davis square will be nice, but it's also a bit hollow because some of the roads between the two are already pretty bike-friendly (Elm St, Somerville Ave). Also, dumping cyclists off at McGrath isn't great because in that area it is not safe for cyclists.

Given the state of the Green Line extension I suppose we should be happy that we're getting anything. The new apartment I'm moving into is only a few blocks away from the proposed path, so if it's built within the next few years I may even get to take advantage of it.

Ghazmh

Let's see, new bike and nice weather after a week of rain.....52 miles Monday afternoon with my new Smoothie. I fiddled with the saddle position a few times and had an overall great ride. it is exactly what I wanted!! 51 miles tonight with my R3. Once rush hour traffic died down both rides were quintessential spring rides. The scent of freshly cut grass, flowers (and pollen) mixed with seeing deer and freshly blossomed trees made it great!!

rholland1951

10 miles before dinner on the Rawland, shorts and short sleeves, Spring without a doubt.




rod

rholland1951

All may not be lost. The Friends of the Community Path have engaged the MBTA with an alternative plan for the path at a cost that comes in under the current lunatic proposal. The MBTA claims to be listening. Stay tuned...

rod